


Brother Zachariah Being an Absolute Idiot

by calamityisback



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Background Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Background Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Background Tessa Gray/Will Herondale, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Will Herondale, Canon Related, Multi, POV Jem Carstairs, Parabatai, Parabatai Feels, Post-Book Series: The Infernal Devices, Random & Short, Wordcount: 100-500
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26728126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calamityisback/pseuds/calamityisback
Summary: Just little drabbles of Brother Zachariah either doing dumb stuff or getting emotional over Will. Usually written at 4am, so don't mind the inconsistencies.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray, Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray/Will Herondale, Jem Carstairs/Will Herondale
Comments: 20
Kudos: 38





	1. Jem and Tessa Being Sentimental Little Fucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jem is at a party on a day very important to him, and remembers a day on Blackfriars Bridge.

"My parabatai once said that life is a book, and there were a thousand pages yet to be read. I only wish I was there for more of them, and that they didn't pass me by so quickly.

"Love makes time pass more quickly than you would think, Clary. Cherish one another and keep each other close."

Brother Zachariah removes his hand from her shoulder, searching her face for people long gone.

Henry's red hair, Charlotte's height.

Charlotte's temper as well, it seems.

"I will, Brother Zachariah. I have to go now, but thank you," the girl says with a soft smile, turning back towards the day's festivities.

Zachariah watches her go, smiling when she tackles Jace from behind and peppers him with kisses.

Magnus had organized a mandatory celebration- a combination Christmas and early New Year's party. Attendance was mandatory, apparently, by punishment of Alec's wrath.

It just so happened to also be Will's birthday, hence the nostalgia. Jace and Alec's attendance only magnified his sentimentality, though of course they weren't to blame.

Jem- for he was always Jem where Will was concerned- still remembered the meeting where Tessa had told him of that particular quote of Will's, about life as a book.

It was 1942, and it had been two years since they had last met. Five years since Will had died.

When Brother Zachariah arrived at Blackfriars Bridge, he saw Tessa, leaning down against the railing, arms crossed, gaze in the distance. He came to a stop at her side, copying her stature.

They stood in a melancholic silence, his Brother's silent in his mind. They allowed him this hour, once a year, in privacy.

"Will told me, 'Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not read.' In the moment, I thought we had all of the time in the world. Time is tricky like that, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is. What brought you to remember that bit of wisdom, of them all?"

Tessa flushed lightly at this question, tucking a piece of war-shorn hair behind her ear.

"This might sound a bit odd, but I kept journals of the more poetic things he said. Both of you, actually. I like to read them when I'm stressed, it's.. comforting, in a way."

"If I had known that I had my very own scribe, I would've put my sharp wit and impressionable poetry skills to use more often." Brother Zachariah smiles, his eyes crinkling lightly as he glances over at Tessa.

She grins and shakes her head in mock frustration.

"Insufferable, the both of you."


	2. Alec, Fraternizing With Demons??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is feeling a bit under the weather, and hopefully hasn't succumbed to his genetics.

"Astriola? You think that could be what Alec has?"

Alec's untimely sickness had worried them all, which led to a research session with Jace's favorite Silent Brother.

Of course, it's just a cold. But Jace never can be too careful.

"It says here that it's caused by- o h." Jace lowers the medical book that he was studying and slowly pushes it to the side, eyebrow raised.

"Hopefully, propositioning demons is not a genetic trait. That would be.. unfortunate," Brother Zachariah says(?), an uncharacteristic smirk peering from underneath his hood.

"Uhm mind you, Alec would NOT screw a demon. He has much higher standards than that."

Jace's indignant look freezes for a moment, a look of daunting realization appearing across his face.

"Oh fuck, he liked me, his standards really are that low."

Jace pushes off of the table, knocking his chair backwards and sprinting out of the library.

Jem is amused.

"fUCK, ALEC I'M ON MY WAY, HOLD ON-"


	3. Jem.ex has Stopped Working

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jem teaches Jace his heritage, and Tessa interrupts.

Tessa has most definitely stumbled upon something she isn't meant to see.

Jem sits, hands laying on the table of the Institute's library while Jace sits across from him, leaning forward with rapt attention.

This could be entertaining, Tessa thinks to herself, I think I will stay for the show.

"This is an invaluable piece of your heritage, okay Jace? Listen closely, and repeat after me."

Jem carries a somber tone. 

Frankly, it's hilarious.

"Demon pox, oh demon pox-"

Tessa grins, plan in mind, and shouts along, "JUST HOW IS IT ACQUIRED?"

There's a crash of wood and quite a few unsightly words.

Jace looks very confused.

And oh.

Oh dear.

Jem seems to be on the floor.


	4. They Show This to Children??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jem and Tessa settle down to watch National Geographic. Hijinks pursue.

The newlywed James Carstairs leaned against his wife (his wife, can you believe it?!), Tessa Herondale-Carstairs.

They really do need to work on the last name situation.

Jem watched the television in amazement, he still had no idea how the thing worked, while Tessa stared at her husband with bemused adoration.

How Jem could be so utterly intranced by something as simple as National Geographic, she would never know. But this specific documentary was on African lions, and she had learned to never get in the way of Jem and his cats. Never.

"The penis of a lion, like all felines, has backward pointing barbs. In lions, copulation is often accompanied by snarling, biting, growling-"

Jem pales and runs to the screen, blanket in hand, and covers the... interesting scene.

"LOOK AWAY, TESSA, LOOK AWAY-"

Tessa scoffs and shakes her head, smiling all the while. "By the Angel, Jem, have you forgotten the time that you quite literally _ripped my corset off_?"

"Oh, did I?" Jem looks at her with a conniving grin as he steps forward, pulling Tessa up from the couch.

"How would you feel about reminding me, dear Tessa?"


End file.
